By: Awa Conteh
Welcome to this week’s episode of Gambian Trailblazers. Today, we’re joined by Modou NSZ Njie, an inspiring figure who has dedicated over 20 years to the tech sector. He is driven by a deep passion for digital transformation in The Gambia. His journey has been a mission to bridge the gap between technology and sectors like agriculture and entrepreneurship, where innovation can make a profound difference.
Through his ventures, such as Farm Fresh and NWEB Plus, he has introduced cutting-edge solutions to address local challenges and improve livelihoods. This episode will explore his background, the motivation behind his work, and his vision for the future.
Growing up in The Gambia, Modou Njie witnessed firsthand the limited access to technology faced by individuals and businesses. These challenges became the spark for his journey. Early on, he saw the potential for technology to solve problems and create opportunities. He knew he wanted to leverage this knowledge to benefit his community. He has always been passionate about problem-solving, and with two decades of experience under his belt, he is now making a significant impact in fostering digital transformation where it is most needed.
For Mr. Njie, technology is more than just an industry—it is a tool for empowerment. Through this lens, he has continuously sought to develop solutions relevant to the Gambian context, especially in sectors like agriculture that are often slow to embrace change. With a vision to improve access to markets and make local systems more efficient, his journey toward creating lasting change in The Gambia’s digital sector took root.
“Growing up in The Gambia, I saw firsthand the challenges businesses and individuals faced in accessing technology. This motivated me to leverage my knowledge to create solutions that would bridge that gap and foster digital transformation in sectors like agriculture and entrepreneurship, where it is most needed,” he shared with The Alkamba Times.
Farm Fresh is one of the most remarkable results of this vision. The idea was simple: use technology to connect local farmers with consumers, cutting out the middlemen and ensuring that fresh produce gets to the people who need it while providing farmers with fair market prices. What started as an idea soon evolved into a platform reshaping the agricultural value chain in The Gambia.
The platform offers farmers direct access to markets, ensuring they can sell their produce at a fair price while reducing inefficiencies leading to food waste. Since its inception, Farm Fresh has significantly improved the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, many of whom previously struggled to find a consistent and reliable marketplace for their goods. It has also made it much easier for consumers to get fresh, organic produce, bridging the gap between rural farmers and urban dwellers.
“The idea for Farm Fresh came from a desire to connect local farmers with consumers using technology. We saw an opportunity to address inefficiencies in the agricultural value chain by offering farmers direct access to markets and ensuring customers get fresh, organic produce conveniently,” Mr. Njie explained.
By empowering farmers with the tools to engage directly with consumers, Farm Fresh has revolutionized the agricultural market. The platform’s success demonstrates the reliability of digital tools, especially when applied in a sector central to food security and economic development. As the platform grows, it continues to show that technology can bridge traditional practices and modern efficiency.
Looking to the future, Mr. Njie sees even more potential for digital tools in agriculture. His vision for the sector includes integrating cutting-edge technologies like precision farming, which uses IoT devices and drones for crop monitoring and data-driven decision-making. These tools can help farmers maximize yields while minimizing waste and improving the sustainability of farming practices. With mobile apps that track soil health, predict harvests, and provide real-time market data, farming can become more profitable and less reliant on guesswork.
“Technology is the future of agriculture. From precision farming with IoT devices to drones for crop monitoring, technology will allow farmers to make data-driven decisions. I see mobile apps becoming more common to track soil health, predict yields, and connect farmers with real-time market prices,” he said.
Despite these successes, the road to modernization has been fraught with challenges. The biggest hurdle has been convincing farmers to adopt these new technologies. Many are deeply rooted in traditional farming practices and hesitate to switch to digital tools. Understanding this resistance, Modou and his team have worked to simplify the tools they offer, ensuring they are user-friendly and practical. They have slowly been winning over more farmers by providing training and demonstrating the tangible benefits.
In addition to overcoming farmers’ resistance, internet connectivity remains a significant obstacle, especially in rural areas. Many tools that benefit farmers are out of reach without reliable internet access. However, he and his team are exploring offline solutions and partnerships that could extend these digital tools to even the most remote parts of The Gambia.
“One of the biggest challenges has been convincing farmers to adopt new technologies. Many are used to traditional methods and hesitant to try digital solutions. We’ve overcome this by providing training, demonstrating the tangible benefits, and creating simple and easy-to-use tools,” Modou explained.
Beyond agriculture, Mr. Njie’s work extends to entrepreneurship, where he continues to make a significant impact through NWEB Plus. This initiative was born from the realization that many small businesses in The Gambia struggled with online visibility due to the high cost of web development services. NWEB Plus provides a solution by offering website development at a discounted rate, enabling startups to access the global market, enhance their brand, and attract customers more effectively.
NWEB Plus lowers the barriers to entry into digital entrepreneurship to empower businesses to compete on a level playing field. The initiative also encourages young entrepreneurs to embrace digital tools and e-commerce, fostering a culture of innovation that is crucial for the future of The Gambia’s business ecosystem.
“The idea behind NWEB Plus came from the realization that many small businesses struggle with online visibility due to high development costs. By offering discounted website development, we’re not just providing a service—we’re empowering startups to access the global market, enhance their brand, and attract customers more effectively,” he shared.
Our trailblazer’s vision for NWEB Plus is ambitious. He plans to support over 500 businesses in the next five years. He hopes to nurture the next generation of Gambian entrepreneurs by creating a platform where startups can easily access tech services and mentorship. In doing so, he helps build a digital ecosystem supporting sustainable growth and innovation across various sectors.
As someone deeply invested in technology and entrepreneurship, Modou Njie believes digital tools will play an increasingly important role in addressing food security challenges in The Gambia. These tools can help reduce post-harvest losses and ensure that food is available when and where it is needed by improving supply chain management and agricultural efficiency,
“Digital tools can transform how we approach food security by improving supply chain management and enhancing agricultural efficiency. With mobile platforms, farmers can access critical information on weather patterns, planting techniques, and market demands,” he noted.
Throughout his career, Mr Njie’s leadership style has been defined by creativity and inclusivity. He believes empowering his team and the entrepreneurs he works with is key to driving innovation. He also prioritizes continuous learning, ensuring that his team and the entrepreneurs he mentors have access to the tools and training they need to grow.
He envisions expanding Money Farm and NWEB Plus to have a regional presence, reaching even more people and businesses. He also aims to introduce more financial services tailored to agricultural entrepreneurs, further empowering them to grow their businesses and contribute to the national economy.
As we reflect on Modou Njie’s work, it’s clear that digital transformation is not just about technology but about using it to create lasting change in people’s lives. Whether connecting farmers with markets, providing digital tools for businesses, or supporting entrepreneurship through mentorship, he continues to be a driving force in shaping a brighter future for The Gambia. We hope his story encourages you to embrace innovation, seek solutions to local challenges, and believe in the power of technology to transform communities.
